Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to ask some questions. Why will we not accept antigen testing here, when Europe has acknowledged it and it is acceptable everywhere else? I know of a family - a mother, a father, four children and grandchildren – who, the night before last, travelled home to see their dad, who is dying and is in palliative care. They were turned back at the port because they had the NHS test, not the PCR. Where is the humanity in turning them back? They had to travel back again, whenever they got the next ferry, and they will try to come here again when they get antigen tests, despite the associated costs. Why will we not accept the antigen test or the NHS test? They seem to be doing an awful lot better with the vaccinations and everything else than we are. That is the first question.

Ceist eile concerns St. Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir. The Minister refused to answer on this but I will keep raising it because it is my duty for the people there, as well as the people of east and west Waterford. I refer to having that hospital returned to the status of a district hospital, with four palliative care beds and excellent staff and teams working there. Although there is fundraising and buy-in from the community, the Government closed it in the middle of a pandemic after the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, had assured Councillor Kieran Bourke, in the presence of Deputy Cahill, that it would return after the pandemic. They have rolled out all the excuses in the world about HIQA. It was a fly-by-night job, a trick-of-the-loop job just to cod the people by talking about a diabetic centre.

With regard to maternity hospitals, I want to acknowledge South Tipperary General Hospital maternity services. All of my eight children were born there, as were my eight grandchildren, and one, hopefully, in the next couple of days, making number nine. There are excellent staff and excellent antenatal and prenatal services, and we have been through all of those areas. Why is there management blockage in different hospitals so they will not allow partners, husbands, dads or siblings to go in with an expectant mother to get good news, although it can be bad news sometimes? I have written a number of times to the manager of the hospital, who told me they will examine it, and referred to the statement made by the Minister and the Department that they were easing the restrictions, but there is still no movement.

I cannot get any reply since the cyberattack - nothing at all. Even before the cyberattack, I had never got an answer from the Minister to aon ceist amháin. I will keep asking here and I will be raising it at the Business Committee again today, and the Chief Whip and the Ceann Comhairle have tried. I have never had a written answer from the Minister about anything. I have used my limited time to ask questions and I expect to get an answer. The Minister has plenty of officials with him to take the questions and answers so I can get an answer. Never in the last 12 months have I got an answer on any question I have put to the Minister here on the floor of the House. That is an insult and disrespect to the electorate in Tipperary, who, for the time being, have elected me and asked me to do a job for them. I do my best to ask the questions and we are entitled to get answers. It is an abdication of the Minister's responsibility.

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